Sacramento Monarchs 88, New York Liberty 73
The Game Notes of Doom have a headache from headdesking. Nicole Powell, however, is awesome.
So how was your day? It probably wasn't worse than mine!
Whiz runs a really weird shootaround where most of his young players are either in before the fans are allowed into the building or don't come out at all, while his veterans shoot around the way most teams do. Not great news if you're an autograph seeker who's after young players, though.
The anthem-in-harmony was a good idea in theory, but the practice should have involved two people of roughly equal ability. She wasn't bad- she didn't need a microphone. He wasn't good- he didn't need a microphone. She overwhelmed him in the harmony portions. A mess all around, which really sums up the game experience when you think about it.
I'll say this for Whiz- he's probably a pretty good chess player, which makes him a pretty good coach, even if he's been a crappy GM. He saw matchups that could be exploited and exploited the living fuck out of them. If he'd given himself some players to work with, this team might be better than 5-13.
DeMya, get off the floor. No, seriously, her flopping got really annoying after a while. For a while, she was a very effective double agent for the Liberty, fucking up any possession she could get her hands on, whether it was with a fumble, a foul, a travel, or a ridiculously long hold of the ball that resulted in a shot clock violation. Paris got the start, but her stamina's not to the point it needs to be yet. She had to come out pretty quickly, maybe two or three minutes after she came in each time. I like her instincts, though. She just needs to work on her conditioning. Robinson started, and I wasn't impressed. Ticha still makes things happen, but you know your team's defense is shit when Ticha Penicheiro drives through like a knife through hot butter. I'm not digging the blonde highlights. I know it's a little late now, but would someone please guard Nicole Powell? What frightens me most is that she was working on her interior moves before the game, so she knows the weaknesses in her game and is willing to work on them. Beautiful shot. And she works the boards too. She definitely proved she belonged on the All-Star team.
Lawson was a matchup nightmare. Ate Leilani Mitchell for lunch. So did Chelsea Newton on the defensive end. Harper and Kelly both banged hard, Harper not as effectively as Kelly. Harper's the one who kept getting called for fouls and committing turnovers. Maïga-Ba's learned a few tricks.
My notes are getting shorter because I'm tired, I'm frustrated, and no one for Sacramento was eye-poppingly good other than Powell.
WTF, Janel. All of those turnovers must have happened at once, because I remember concentrated stretches of fail. I think the sheer physicality of the Monarchs posts must have overwhelmed her, since she's evolved into more of a finesse post. Sacramento did a really great job on Shameka, too, unless it was just a matter of our guards not being able to find her, but she just couldn't get space to get open. Loree still has no sense of urgency, which isn't good when she's the point guard that our coach trusts in tight situations. If we're down big in the fourth quarter, this is not the time to stroll the ball up and stand there dithering. At least she's being more aggressive offensively. Essence was defensive fail, and a lot of her offense came when it really was too late. GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT HOLE, people.
Kia played a lot more tha I was used to, in order to bang with Harper and Kelly, and she wasn't bad at it, though I would have liked to see her a little more involved in the offense. Spencer played a lot of minutes on the heels of Chicago, but either Sacramento wasn't letting her get to her spots, or her utility in the Chicago game was unremarked and unremembered, because she wasn't getting the ball, or at least wasn't getting it somewhere where she could make use of it, which makes having her in the game pointless, bcause she can't defend and she can't do much on the floor other than shoot. Leilani, while she was a liability on defense (because Kara Lawson is an Olympian) and on offense (because Chelsea Newton is hell on wheels if you're a tiny ballhandler), seemed more into things than Loree was. Ashley, other than a play here and there, really didn't stand out, except that for the love of God would someone either work on her ballhandling skills or just not let her dribble on a basketball court anymore? Because this is getting painful to watch, especially against a team like Sacramento that likes to fuck with the ballhandler.
I feel like I'm missing something, though that might just be the two hours of my life I spent at that game. I don't know anymore. We gave up a 16-3 run in the fourth quarter, you guys. We are not supposed to be doing this shit.
And enough with the Timeless Torches and fat dancing Christon guy. I'm scarred for life now, thanks. Traumatized. I swear to God.
The guest DJ was cool, but she didn't bleep out curse words, so that feature's going to go out the window soon.
Winning the shuffle game might actually have been the high point of the Garden experience for me. You think I'm joking. I bet you think I'm joking.
The ball cannon was broken again. Proof once more, this team has no balls. They keep giving me the straight line, I'll keep taking it.
Friday, July 24, 2009
July 23rd, 2009: Sacramento at New York
Sunday, June 8, 2008
June 8th, 2008: Sacramento at New York
Sacramento Monarchs 80, New York Liberty 73
The Game Notes are not pleased with the New York Liberty, but think Monique Ambers is awesome.
Look, guys. If you're going to phone it in, please let us know in advance so we can know not to expect anything from you. On the other hand, if you're going to rock, knowing that in advance might be cool too.
Let me say this publicly and for the record so that all and sundry can see: Monique Ambers is completely and totally awesome. I was down by the rail, the autograph hangout at the Garden, and the spot I took happened to be right next to where she was hanging out, watching a few of the Monarchs do stretches. I had a Scholanda Robinson card on my little clipboard, because she was the only Monarch I wanted a signed card from- I already had the others. Coach Ambers caught a glimpse of me and remarked something along the lines of "Look at you in the Rebecca jersey." I told her I'd been a fan since the beginning, and that I remembered Phoenix- and Cleveland, as Coach Boucek had come up behind her by that point. She reached across, took my card and marker, went out onto the court, presented both to Scholanda Robinson, and brought me back my marker and the signed card. "So you don't have to wait," she said, or something along those lines. (She didn't know I was also waiting on the rookies; I didn't know the rookies were in protective packaging until gametime.) So if anyone out there is from the Monarchs front office- you guys are doing something right, and I just thought I'd let y'all know that, from someone who wishes her franchise would do something right.
Missed the anthem, which I hear might have been a good thing. Didn't miss our own kwnyc as season subscriber of the game, though, no sirree.
Where the hell did Ticha Penicheiro find a jump shot? She's been in this league for how long now with the reputation as a pass-first, pass-second, pass-third, what-do-you-mean-I-should-shoot player, and suddenly she's got a jump shot? Now, okay, part of that might have had to do with having a little teeny defender on her, but seriously. I'm still in shock. 17 points and 2 assists is a line I expect to see from Kara Lawson, not Ticha Penicheiro. Speaking of Lawson, she definitely got her shots, and if she'd hit more of them this would have been a blowout. Powell somehow got to her average after a quiet start. Adrian Williams still has it. She might not score a lot, but she'll score enough, and she'll get her rebounds. She's a nice piece to have. I'm really surprised more didn't go through Brunson, considering that the natural matchup would be with Cathrine, who doesn't like that whole defending inside thing. Harper seems good at doing the little things- I think the question is whether she can learn enough from Williams and Brunson to start doing the big things on the professional level. Didn't see too much of Kelly, saw a whole lot of fouls on Smith, didn't see all that much of Aqua Franklin despite Ticha's foul trouble and sudden hamstring issues in the fourth quarter. Chelsea Newton, of course, brought the defense- there were a couple of plays where Megan Duffy was damn near wearing purple, Chelsea was so up on her. At the same time, I see why Sacramento fans are frustrated- they spent a lot of time in the backcourt, including the eight seconds, and the rotation is a bit inexplicable. But only a bit, compared to the mess That Moron has left.
Okay, so maybe Leilani used up most of her store of awesome against Houston. Not that she wasn't passing well, but she wasn't getting or hitting the shots she had against Houston. And no one really picked up the slack. Janel, I'm looking at you. Stop fouling and start shooting. I'm kinda hoping that her dad gave her hell for how little she was into the game. You too, Cathrine. Seemed that every good play she made was sandwiched around a play that was pure bonehead. I'll give her credit for being on the boards, though. Sista Christon- okay, she was rebounding, too, but they're all too tentative on the shot. Guys, it's okay. Really. This isn't Rutgers. Speaking of, I thought Essence was solid, and it would have been awful nice to have her in at crunch time. Or if she couldn't go for whatever reason, Ashley Battle. Seriously, what in the nine circles of Dante's Inferno did AB do to Coyle that's got her superglued to the bench? Whatever it is, AB, either don't do it so you'll play or do more of it so we don't have That Moron to kick around anymore. Lisa was hot in the first half, but by the time That Moron remembered she existed, she'd gone cold. Mom, who's got a different vantage point from the other side of the arena, says she saw Lisa open two or three times that Leilani missed. I'll credit the Sacramento defense for that, though. Tiffany was on the boards like whoa. Think there's any chance of Miss Jackson starting sometime soon? Because we need to whack someone in our frontcourt upside the head with a cluestick, and Tiffany might be a reasonable facsimile of a cluestick. Erin… I have learned not to expect defense from her, and at least she scored some. Megan is stil painfully slow to watch, and it did not help that she had an old Big East foe on her like white on rice. Erlana… er, she seems to have found the wall as rapidly as she hit her stride originally.
Dear refs: calling a game evenly does NOT mean that you call every foul on Sacramento in the first half and call every foul on New York in the second half. We were seriously wondering if Ticha offered you favors at halftime, the superstar calls you were giving her. Also, whichever one of you nitwits tried to gyp Erin out of her free throws on the fifth foul of the second quarter, please learn to count before I use That Moron as a blunt instrument on your fool head.
While I'm thinking of it- Coyle, you do realize that if a player is doing well, you leave her in the game, right? You don't wait for her to do well and then yank her. The glasses, they do nothing. Not to mention, Erin Thorn is not a small forward, nor is Lisa Willis, and WTF are you doing running three-guard sets when we have been sucking rocks on the glass?
It was very nice to see Sue there with probably her mom, although either that was a horrible camera or she's using Wyckoff and Douglas's old yellow dye from the rookie cards. And you know a game has gone down the shitter when the alumnae head for the door before the buzzer.
It's probably for the best hardly anyone showed up, but, um, WHERE THE HELL WAS EVERYONE? The Yankee game was over before tip. The Mets are in San Diego. The Cyclones and the Staten Island Yankees aren't in season yet. The weather was too disgusting for even the beach. And yet the place was emptier than even the weekday games. It's like the team forgot to market the rest of the season. And I'm going to have to smack a bitch if I get this stupid Outdoor Classic thing shoved down my throat much longer.
No, seriously. I'm this close to using my mom's cane as a cluestick. And if they lose to Atlanta, That Moron should decline to board the flight back to New York out of shame.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
May 24th, 2008: Sacramento at Connecticut
The Game Notes Of Doom have a bit of a crush on Mike Thibault but are not fond of Husky fans, and Lindsay Whalen continues to be awe-inspiring.
Okay, so maybe Atlanta and Sacramento aren't the greatest tests in the world- not this season, at least- but so far, Thibault looks like a full-fledged genius. And Jenny Boucek looks like she still doesn't know what she has.
I won't bore you with tales of the crazy drunk Russian man who almost made us call the cops to protect the bus driver, so let's start our tale at the arena, with the sheer number of fuzzy, furry, and feathered things wandering around the arena- see, the Sun had declared it Blaze's birthday, so they got mascots from all over New England to help with the celebration. Even if you factor out the sponsor mascots, they got a very impressive group of costumes together. The birthday was celebrated with kazoos (I can't get mine to work, which I'm sure is more my problem than theirs) and a magnificent Blaze-shaped cake that was shown off at halftime. Alas, they did not take the boy's suggestion that the cake be cut up and sold at exorbitant prices at Geno's.
So, Sacramento. Do you guys have to show how much you miss Yo? Because the organization… not so organized. And when is Nicole Powell going to show up and replace the placeholder in her uniform? That was a pretty horrendous shooting display she put on right there. Ticha's lost a step or two, but she's still a far better option at the point than young Miss Franklin, whose name I am afraid I will butcher beyond recognition if I try to spell it. Things seemed better, at least defensively, with Ticha in. I had no idea how small Franklin was, and while she's fast, I don't know if I would have taken the chance on her that Sacramento has. Brunson was exactly what we expected from her, and she added a couple of nice defensive plays with her hands. Adrian Williams-Strong (I'm still not used to her hyphenation) played pretty well, I thought, but that might just be in comparison to the bench, which was. Well. We'll get to that. I've always liked Kara Lawson, so I was glad to see her get her shots and hear her organizing her team. But other than Crystal Kelly, Sacramento's bench was beyond awful. Laura Harper and Kim Smith still have a lot to learn, although Harper has more of an excuse than Smith does. At least Kelly was aggressive inside and drew fouls. Boucek really worked her bench in the first half, but in the second she seemed to have decided to go with an actual rotation. Maybe she'll try that in the first half next time. Fortunately, she wasn't a fashion disaster this time- nothing too tight, nothing too short.
Lindsay. FUCKING. Whalen. I may not like her, but goddamn is she bringing it this year so far. Today she was needed to score, so she put up 21… and five rebounds against Sacto's big front line.. and five assists. She absolutely abused Franklin. Please, please tell me she's in contention for Beijing? And the ball movement was fabulous overall. Any time you get ten assists from your starting frontcourt, you've got your passing game working. Surprised the hell out of me when I looked at the boxscore, because I remembered Whitmore making a couple of passes that were reminiscent of her not-so-good Liberty years- but mistakes are always more noticeable, and she started hitting her shots in the second half- playing her outside took Brunson out of her comfort zone and opened things up inside, especially when Franklin was on Whalen and Whalen could make like she was a forward on the lil bit. So did Barbara Turner, who was canning threes every which way but loose. All of them were, really; there was one point in the second half where Connecticut had hit four threes from straight on at the top of the key. Amber Holt is looking more and more like a brilliant pick by Thibault- as is her second-shift counterpart, Jolene Anderson. (No, seriously, she and Anderson are straight switches, Holt for the first half, Anderson for the second half; he does the same thing with Gardin and Turner.) It's almost a shame that they're all coming in the same year as Parker- the lower-level rookies this year are going to be so overlooked because of the megastars. It was nice to see Page and Swanier come in, and how the Sun immediately ran the first play for Page- I'm just disappointed that Boucek didn't come with Allen in the last two minutes, when the game was out of reach.
I think I would like the Sun a lot better- or at least enjoy the experience of a Sun game more- if it weren't for Husky fans blowing the roof off so disproportionately for Turner and Swanier during introductions. Jones and Raymond, I get, because they both have WNBA track records and Jones is a starter. But when even the PA announcer is showing favoritism towards the UConn alumnae, it's hard to enjoy the game. Where's the love for the actual starters- for Holt, who's giving Blaze a reason to go get his hair done again, or for the hard-working Gardin? Why does a reserve guard who basically serves as the victory cigar get more fan appreciation than the one who flies into the stands for the ball? It's to the point where I don't feel comfortable clapping for Jones or Raymond, even though I've always liked Tamika Raymond and have nothing but respect for Asjha Jones, because I don't want to identify with that element of the fan base.
Matt and Jackie need to tone it down a little, although they're not as annoying as they used to be. Still, don't try to force traditions down fans' throats. As we've already seen in New York, it doesn't work. Connecticut fans are smart enough- or at least I'd like to think so- not to fall for pointless bullshit. If fans can't bring the noise themselves…
I love watching Thibault work- not that we had much of a chance to do so, since our seats were on the Sacramento side. Forget mere killing- I'd commit wholesale massacre to get Mike Thibault as coach/GM of the Liberty.
Ugh, refs. An all-male crew usually guarantees someone who thinks there's a charge circle in the WNBA, much to Kim Smith's dismay. And then there was the offensive foul that was whistled late on Brunson… a) after a Sun player had initiated contact, b) [I]after Connecticut had already gotten the ball back[/I] after the collision. Of course, when they have to redo the [I]opening[/I] jump, you might have a crappy crew on hand. The Connecticut fans were more pissed than I was.
So yeah. I'm going to look pretty damn stupid for having Connecticut fifth in my predictions. Not that I mind, though. :D
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
July 8th, 2007: Sacramento at New York
New York Liberty 71, Sacramento Monarchs 61
The Libkids bring the Maalox Moments, Rebekkah Brunson is made of awesome, and the Garden is shiny!
These crazy, kooky kids. I love them to death, but someday they're going to give me one last Maalox moment.
Was out and about pregame, seeing 'most everyone arrive at an ungodly hour (seriously, three hours before tip and then some). Shay + toothpick = wowgay. I spent a lot of that three o'clock hour blushing. I didn't realize people were actually reading my stuff, what can I say? I think my favorite pregame comment was from a friend of a friend in 219 (paraphrased): "Of course we won the Detroit game. Our coach was back- Erin Thorn."
Shiiiiiiiny new scoreboards. Font needs a little work- it was hard to tell apart the 0s, 3s, and 8s, but wow, shiny. Also, shiny new stanchions (sp?) and transparent two-sided shot clocks, with auxiliary shot clocks welded onto the "arm" of each stanchion. The next road trip and ASBreak will allow the rest of the array to be put into place, which is most excellent and will probably also be very very shiny. I'd like more stats and less out of town scores, though; do we really need four copes of the out-of-town scoreboard running?
Monarchs took every second they could for shootaround, though I did get to congratulate Kara on her upcoming nuptials (no, did not comment on the musical choice, although I've sometimes been tempted to get her attention by belting out "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy", if only because that's… not something you'd expect to hear in New York, is it?). The coaching staff didn't seem to be on the floor, even, but Boucek had them in in a hurry. Fro promised to sign after the game, but I don't know if she fulfilled that promise.
I think they're starting to run short of people interested in singing the anthem, because I think this was the second game of the season where they brought the singer in from in-house. The Garden in general seems to be getting more insular- cost cutting?
So I've been hearing these stories about how Rebekkah Brunson's been off the hook this season, that she's a beast, a monster, unstoppable, unbelievable. Um. Yeah. Wow. Seriously, now I'm thinking it would be a hard choice to pick between her and Ford. Baby Yo looks more and more like her "mama" every day. Mama Yo is starting to show her age a little bit, but she's still not someone I'd dare cross. Ticha still can't shoot, but it's still fun to watch her. Powell was awfully quiet, though she was hitting her shots in practice. Chelsea was really up in everyone's business on defense, and I spent a lot of the game shrieking at the Liberty not to play silly buggers with passing the ball to whoever she was guarding. Lawson really didn't get her shot going, which surprised me, though her first make was a pretty, pretty floater in the lane; if you're going to take your sweet time to hit a shot, that's a good one to make your first. I was not impressed with Scholanda Robinson; control seemed to start slipping when she was in, although some of that might have had to do with overlapping with Haynie- I'd have to look at a full PBP to be certain of that, but she doesn't seem to be playing within herself. As for Haynie… she's a nice kid, but she doesn't have the guts to control her team. I think she's the wrong point guard for a veteran team- I think she needs to be the voice of experience to younger players, and she's not going to get that in Sacramento. Atkinson has a knack for getting things done, and I suspect she'll move up on the depth chart by the end of this season.
That first quarter was unbelievable… and it was enough to save the game for us. Problem is that the kids haven't developed killer instinct yet, and they rather need to be told that. The boy and I suspect that That Moron has been telling them to relax at the half when they have big leads, and that would be stupid. I know I've been saying that I have no expectations for this team, but I meant it in the results sense, not in the sense that they don't learn anything from the experience. It didn't help that Loree got so frazzled in the fourth quarter, and I'm sorry, I would have pulled her after the third hesistant, telegraphed pass. She was slipping back into old habits, and we can't afford to have her do that; she's the only irreplaceable part on this team. Fortunately, she got herself straightened out in the end. She and Erin work really well together- they spot each other well on the floor, and each has her role with the team. Loree makes everything happen in a basketball sense, and Erin tells everyone what to do, even if what she's telling them is "Do what Loree tells you". Unfortunately, I think Erin has to spend time coaching the team that she should be using on her own skillset. Meanwhile… dear Sista Christon, please stop jacking up bad shots. Trust your teammates. They don't bite, or at least if they do, they only do it to the opposing team. I know you have the best shot under pressure… but that doesn't mean get yourself into situations where pressure will be applied, 'kay? But keep hustling on the boards. Cathrine picked her spots, something she's getting really good at. Just out of curiosity, am I the only one who thinks she's getting blonder and blonder? It's disconcerting, and I'm not sure I approve, but I am sure that I'm not going to be the one who tells her if it doesn't look good on her. Janel was damn fierce today, about the only one who wasn't taking any crap from Brunson. I would have appreciated less foul trouble, but I would also have appreciated better refs; if B, then A. Not one of Tiffany's stronger games, but again, fouls. Kid's gotta learn when to back off. Same for Lisa. I think we could have stood with a couple of more minutes of Jess, as long as someone informed her that she is not particularly decorative, and thus cannot stand on the court like a statue, admiring Brunson's rebounding and post moves. Not unless she's taking some goddamn notes. Ashley came in, made things happen, and has unbelievably dorky taste in music. I knew there was a reason I liked her.
I think my favorite play of the game was Chelsea's physics lesson; that is, what happens when something encounters an irresistible force, in this case, Loree's shoulders.
I finally caved and bought myself the Davenport T. Now I can match the jersey and the shirt, in a perverse, past/future kind of way.
Waited after the game at the Monarchs bus. The few folks who were getting on the bus did so promptly, but I was amused that the bus pulled out at pretty much the same time that Kristin Haynie wandered down 33rd with a posse. I don't know where a Michigan girl got a posse in New York- maybe they have them for rent, I don't know. She and the aforementioned posse met up with Lindsay across from the Garden. Robinson wandered out the employees' exit, but I didn't want to bother her, not when she was a) traveling with her kidlet, and b) traveling with Rebekkah Brunson. A) is tacky; b) is suicidal.
When all is said and done, we won this game, and we played a brilliant first quarter and kept them even in the second quarter… but we lost the second half. If this season is to be a learning experience, then they have to learn to keep the pressure on, because Indiana and Detroit aren't about to give up 16-0 runs, and we have to worry about the Eastern teams before we get around to worrying about the Westerners.
Still, it cannot be said enough for the record: I love this team.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
July 6th, 2006: Sacramento at New York
Sacramento Monarchs 79, New York Liberty 58
Half a Yolanda Griffith is better than a New York Liberty frontcourt, lots of shot selections blow, and Becky Hammon has apparently had it the fuck up to here.
I'm starting to understand Jayda Evans's frustration with the inaugural Storm, and we're at less than half the number of losses she had to cover. Jayda, I raise a Diet Coke to you.
Note- honoring the emergency services people is shiny and brilliant and awesome. In the future, though please ask them not to bring their bagpipes. The arena was dead enough, it didn't need to be deadened further. Also, the anthem singer? So very glad he doesn't rely on his voice to save lives. I liked the full color guard, though. Very nice touch.
Yolanda looked like HELL during shootaround. When she came off the court, she had a look on her face that suggested that she might sign autographs for us, but she would either much rather be lying in bed with bonbons and painkillers or hot-wiring people's innards. Obviously her knee was bothering her. And yet, on one good knee, she was better than our entire frontcourt, which has about six healthy knees among them. Ugly as this was, it would have been ugly as an old hooker if she'd been fully healthy, because then she would have hit more shots and stopped more Liberty shots. As for Erin Buescher… someone seems to have neglected to tell the Liberty how well she's playing. Holy shit that girl is good. (And sweet, too; she was the only Monarch to sign autographs before getting on the bus.) Can we trade Erins with you guys? Please? We'll even remember to FedEx Nicole Powell's game back to Arco for you… because it was here all along, who would have imagined? Very solid game for her. Ticha wasn't her old self, but she had some very nifty passes, especially one over the shoulder near the end of the game to Yo. (Wow. Players who have spent eight seasons on the same team play well together. It's like they know each other's tendencies or something.) I wasn't impressed with Dorrell, although wow, is she a showstopper looks-wise. DeMya *does* look broader in the bottom than I remember, but it probably does help. I wasn't paying too much attention to her feet, because she was mastering the bankshot all over again. Gawd, and she comes off the bench. I love the hustle this Sacramento team shows. Even though Brunson and Lawson didn't really have statistically great games, they kept a LOT of balls alive. Tante did her defensive thing, and that was about it, although she was also in the mix when it came to going after balls- there *was* a reason they outrebounded us by 13. Wasn't impressed with Smith (or her autograph- initials are NOT ON, young lady!) and I can see why she's slid down the depth chart.
Y'know, I thought and I thought Shameka was having a great game driving for midrange shots and lay-ups… and then I look at her shot selection and 6/9 are threes. I still don't get it. She gets to the line or gets space for a sweet little jumper when she goes inside… why, oh WHY does she persist in long bombing? STOP IT. Also, please stop with the passes to people in colored jerseys. Becky couldn't buy a bucket tonight, although I'd like to credit the Sacramento defense for that. Lots of bad passes in this game- either that, or lots of great reads. Schuey and Barb were driving me crazy with the bunnies they missed; also, guys, again with the being outrebounded by guards, which is frelling ridiculous. I'm glad Loree's laying off the excessive three-point shooting… now, if we could get her to hit her free throws, that would be shiny. And if we could get Coyle to stop dragging out the hook every time she makes a mistake, that would be super. Sherill seemed at times to be suffering from 1-on-5 syndrome; there were quite a few plays where she seemed to have forgotten that she had teammates. Otherwise, I was impressed with her aggressiveness. Cathrine did some scoring, and we had a Screen of Death (or at least a Screen of You Will NOT Be Hawking My Ballhandler, Bitch) sighting versus Haynie, but no rebounds in 19 minutes is unacceptable. Back inside, woman! Ashley made with the scoring and the hustle, woo-hoo! We had a Christelle sighting, two rebounds and a coupla points, and she should have been credited for a third rebound. We also had an Erin Thorn sighting, and she looked awfully out of it. Obviously Iciss kicked the puppy this week- a 21-point blowout, and you get a DNP-CD? Either that, or Coyle thought she was still on IR. Or possibly Coyle was medicated not to give a shit; from upstairs, it looked an awful lot like she was barely paying attention to the game.
God, this is getting nuts. This team is 4-12. They've lost three-quarters of their games. WTF? What the holy fuck?
September 16th, 2005: Sacramento at Connecticut, WNBA Finals
Connecticut Sun 77, Sacramento Monarchs 70
ROAD TRIP! The Game Notes learn not to count their chickens before Brooke Wyckoff sets, Kara Lawson is in hostile territory, and referees suck.
Have I ever mentioned that my mom is crazy and will, on the spur of the moment, plan an excursion?
No matter what nicknames y'all want to pin on Mr. Enterline, he should be drawn and quartered, and those other two with him, after that pathetic excuse for refereeing last night. The first half was especially appalling in the number of unevenly made calls. Of course, the importance of the two out-of-bounds plays in the second half (the Taj shot and the deflection off Katie's sock) almost counterbalances the quantity from the first. I'd swear that Chelsea Newton spent more time horizontal than vertical on the floor, and not by her own volition (and the one time the call went in her favor was one of the two screw-ups that went in Sacto's favor, go figure!)
On the other hand... Whiz: WTF did Ticha play so much near the end of the game when she wasn't doing squat, and Chelsea and K-Law were being so much more effective?
Damn scoreboard stopped acknowledging DeMya's existence sometime in the second half. Very bizarre.
AJ's butt is a weapon of mass destruction.
I don't want to talk about the people I was sitting around, because they only strengthened the bad impression I get of Sun fans every time I go to the casino for a game as an opposing fan, and there are a couple of Sun fans on this board that I like and don't want to paint with the same brush.
I third Admiral and dts's previous statements about Erin Buescher and her sister. Seriously. "...and I shall call [her] Mini-Me."
Folks sighted: Lady Grooms and adorable child (and presumably Mr. Grooms); Ruthie Bolton, with lovely long hair; Temeka Johnson; DeLisha Milton-Jones, and I think the gentleman sitting next to Miz Johnson was Mr. Jones (why Temeka was sitting between them, the world may never know).
Pictures I would have taken had I a camera: Mama Lawson chatting with Lady Grooms, as two generations of Sacramento motherhood; Ticha and Margo wandering around Restaurant Row, kicking it '98 draft style; Tante Maiga in the company of a small, adorable blonde girl, study in contrasts much?.
K-Law was in *quite* the mood after the game; didn't stop for signing, and I had to keep up like a defender on a fast break to make sure I got my sharpie back. I can understand where she was coming from, though, considering the reception she gets in Connecticut, and considering the game. The Sun fans who referred to her as nasty and as evil after the game can kindly get in line and bite me- do you *really* think she's gonna be sweetness and light to folks in Connecticut gear after all that?
Player family posses amuse me; everyone's in gear, making it easy to figure out who 'tis. Powell looked like she had an entire entourage.
Baby Yo even has Mama Yo's hair now. If they aren't careful, we're going to have the basketball remix of All About Eve.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
June 30th, 2005: Sacramento at New York
Sacramento Monarchs 61, New York Liberty 50
The Liberty are confused. So are the Game Notes.
Mom kept describing this game as lackluster, and that seems to be the right word for it. There was a distinct lack of energy in the building, at least on the Liberty's part and on the part of Liberty fans. There were times when this logically seemed like a winnable game, but deep in the pit of my stomach, I knew there was no way we were going to pull it off, even when we closed to within six or four or three.
Amisha Carter didn't even bother to show up tonight. I mean, I can understand it, there's really no point to coming, except for the free courtside seat, but it just struck me as a BAD THING. She better have a reason for it. DeTrina was in street clothes- word to the wise: iron the shirt before you wear it. Especially when the other team's IR player is Erin Buescher, modeling a rather nice top and slacks, with sensible enough shoes that she was helping with some of the inbound passes for the pregame warmups.
I didn't know refs had friends. Did you? Ref #25, a lady with a blonde ponytail who could have passed for a scion of the Black family tree, had a hugs-and-kisses moment with someone pregame. She also high-fived the kids from the biddy game. I fear for their souls now. Said biddy game was actually pretty damn good for a bunch of kids. They ran fastbreaks, they tried cross-court passes, they used the glass, and one of them even hit a midrange jumper. Seriously, they were awesome. Best biddy game I've ever seen at MSG. Would that it had been an omen.
Anthem was done by the guys from Altar Boyz, which I now want to check out. They've got the sound pretty much down, and they sounded good. The high notes made me wince, though, but I expect men to have trouble hitting higher notes. It's when they don't that I worry.
My scribbled notes indicate that at 11:52 of the first half, I was thinking, "Holy hell, do we ever have butterfingers tonight! We look miserable and confused out there!" The plays that worked against lesser teams weren't working against Sacramento, who's bigger, tougher, and more defensive-minded than any other team in this league. Ann might be able to budge Ruth Riley or Kelly Schumacher, but if she tries to shove Yolanda, Yo shoves back twice as hard. I think at that point, I was also thinking, "No, I can't see La'Keshia as a realtor. Actress, yes, after her cameo in Love and Basketball, and for some reason I can very much see her at the front of a classrom that's about to stop being unruly, but I just can't imagine her showing off houses."
Um, guys with German flag? WTF? Linda's not here anymore, you know...
Halftime=dancers. Aieeeeeeeeee, why must we have dancers inflicted on us? Do something basketball-related, for the love of Goddess!
A'riel (sp?) is the epitome of cuteness. She knows how to work the camera. I think several thousand people fell instantly in love with her when she looked right at the camera and stuck her tongue out at the lot of us. Between the knack for the camera and the toy cell phone, I think it's safe to say that she's very much her mother's daughter. And that's a good thing for Baby Liberty.
Okay, so maybe Loree wasn't a wasted draft pick. She does have a knack for running a team, which is very important for a point guard. She kept the offense flowing pretty well. Now, if she would only discover a shot, before we end up infected with Four-Woman-Offense Syndrome again. But why Tamara remains a DNP-CD is utterly beyond me. I'd talk about everyone one by one, but I'd start to sound like a broken record. No one had anything working tonight. Ann came the closest, because she wasn't foiled by sheer bad mojo, but by the fact that Yolanda is a hella better player than she is, on both ends of the floor. VJ also had her moments, but she didn't look like the player we've expected her to look like this season. Shameka did not have a lot of offense- again, she was hesitant- but she was a terror on the boards, she stuffed Yolanda twice, and I think she was the one with the wicked tackle on Nicole Powell. Crystal certainly didn't set back the Shameka-as-starter cause, and if Elena keeps this shit up, we're going to have a La'Keshia-for-starter campaign going soon. Becky, odd as it sounds to say, didn't spend enough time looking for her shot. I don't know if it's because we've come to expect it or because teams are keying in on other players, but she's passing up shots she should be taking, making passes she doesn't need to make, and I can't believe these words are coming out of my fingers, I really can't. But the offense tonight looked like crap. I don't know why the hell Patty was reaching for Gatorade, because it wasn't like she was doing anything.
DeMya Freaking Walker. If this is how she's been playing all season, she damn well better make the All-Star team. Although I've never seen a player more aptly named- three TOs on traveling violations, each with a different cheesy song attached. Chelsea Newton played a solid defensive game (yeah, I know, the word I'm reaching for here is 'duh'), but it would have been nice for all the RU fans who were there to see her go off. Ticha, Haynie, and Lawson may be the toughest, scrappiest, stubbornest backcourt combination in the league, and if you factor in Chelsea, it only gets worse. I mean, damn, those women are stubborn. They were getting floorburns with under a minute to go. Yo was... Yo. You know Yo. Although the oncourt supportive mother/daughter thing she's got going on with Rebekkah Brunson nearly had me rolling in the aisles. Bekkah's taking that Baby Yo nickname seriously- I think she's even got a tat similar to one of Yolanda's, and she's certainly got the tangle and bang down pat. I'm going to work under the assumption that Nicole Powell spent most of the game under the aegis of one of the Liberty's defensive aces, because otherwise there really isn't an excuse for the way she played tonight. Tante didn't strike any chords with me, but she may well have been of use to Sacramento defensively. Darned if I know. Coach Whisenant, though, is one of the most emotive coaches in the league. He's a hoot to watch.
Just in general, no one should have been taking hook shots tonight. Whether it was Elena, Ann, or DeMya, they weren't falling. Of course, that usually meant therewas a Monarch there to pick up the rebound and put it in the general direction of the appropriate basket. I don't have the final rebounding totals, but the halftime differential was 21-11, 4-1 on the offensive boards. The Liberty just weren't boxing out and the Monarchs most definitely were. I remember one play where the two players crashing the boards the hardest were Crystal and Ticha, and I couldn't help but wonder precisely what the HELL our post players were doing othe than looking right idiots. I think I yelled something to that effect, too. Man, my vocal cords haven't hurt this much in ages. Then again, I wasn't in my normal seat- I scored a courtside ticket off Jean, the nice lady who's doing the photos for SportsPage. So I was in with a crazy crowd, and I kind of wanted to fit in. The only problem with shrieking is that by the second half, it's impossible to do the Xena warcry that puts free throw shooters off their timing.
We got hella more free throws than they did up until hopeless foul derby time, so I ain't gonna get fussed. Seriously, though, other than Reggie Miller, has that 'foul desperately, hope they miss, and hope we hit a lot of quick threes' strategy EVER worked in the history of foul shots and three pointers? Drives me NUTS.
Rutgers orchestrated a takeover of the Garden, and I'm not just talking about the fans who gave Chelsea such a warm welcome home (although the one girl in the #2 Monarchs jersey definitely gets props). Sue was there, of course- she walked by our section, we did the "Suuuuuuuuuuue!!" thing, and she covered her face with her hands. We like her. We really like her. Apparently Vivian Stringer was also in the house, though I didn't see her, and there were a hella lot of Scarlet Knights and former Scarlet Knights kicking around, including our erstwhile draft pick.
The Hustle is not a good song to put on the PA for a raffle. The Monarchs are not a good team to go cold against. Whether it was just because Sacramento's D makes anyone look bad or because we really *are* that bad remains to be seen. Unfortunately, I don't think Connecticut is going to be a fair bellwether of that, either, because the same argument can be made for the Sun as for the Monarchs.
Monday, February 4, 2008
July 6th, 2004: Sacramento at New York
New York Liberty 73, Sacramento Monarchs 66
The Game Notes welcome Pat Coyle to the head coaching job, notice some disturbing trends, predict Kara Lawson's future, and aren't sure what Coach Whiz is doing.
"Mr. Adubato, how does it feel to watch your former assistant get a standing ovation simply because she is not you?"
Oh, my, that was refreshing. How long had it been since we left the Garden with a win? Too long, no doubt. From start to end it was fun- starting with the cross-pollination of board people, ending with a loud, spirited rendition of "We Are Family" and the discovery of a spare set of coasters. Becky was frickin' unconscious tonight, and for a change there were no heinously bad plays on her part. Still, the two best plays of the night belonged to Elena- the banked-in, desperation three pointer near the end of the first half which gave the Liberty a two-point lead, and what looked like a cross between a scoop and a hook in the second half. Yo heart Elena.
Shameka started fast, then slowed up. But after halftime, she started playing like she was a Meek or something. Someone lit a fire under her butt; my theory is that Crystal slapped her upside the head a time or two. Once she hit her first three, she really looked like she was comfortable out there. Same with Ann- most of the game she looked like she was waiting for an important message from the mothership, but Patty talked to her and suddenly she was doing that whole rebounding thing we've heard about from a couple of other players. Oh, and speaking of rebounding, DeTrina had the third-best play of the night- flying halfway across the court to snag a rebound (while Ann stood there going 'duh?'). And of course the jump ball against... who was it, Walker or Griffith? One of the ones who had five inches on her. A very solid game from Elena, and the kind of game we've come to expect from VJ (although VJ got crossed up on a couple of plays- very odd). Bethany had one of the Liberty boners on the night, fouling Yo Griffith as Ticha (?) let fly a three. Four-point play does not make me happy when it's not my team.
The big question, of course: Patty's coaching style. For starters, she had a neat habit of sitting down with a player immediately after said player came out of the game, presumably explaining what she did right and what she could improve on (I mean, I don't know, I don't sit that close; for all I know, they could have been discussing how to bet the Mets-Phillies series). What really came in handy is that after the discussion the player seemed to go back in and be effective. She also has a rather herky-jerky substitution pattern, and she seemes awfully comfortable riding the starters. But I was very proud of myself- I predicted her first two moves. Then again, I left my precognition on the last couple of days; setting up today's lineup yesterday, I had Thibault and Becky. Marianne Stanley seems to be behaving herself reasonably well- no sudden moves to undermine Patty's authority. A coach the players listen to- there's a concept.
Were there rough patches? Yeah, the beginning of the second half was a large rough patch. Blink, and we were down four. Come back late from getting your halftime meal, we were down seven. But it seemed that Sacramento's runs coincided with Yolanda's presence in the game, right up until the end; this is definitely Yo-Yo's team, and if she retires after this year it would be a shame. Kara Lawson shows all the marks of future occasional All-Stardom, Hamchétou Maïga is so damn athletic it's painful, and Mighty Ruthie is still mighty mighty.
What I liked about this game was that the team committing the boneheaded mistakes at the end wasn't New York. Ticha, under a minute left, down by three, should have taken the layup instead of passing out to Kara Lawson. And what the HELL was Ruthie Bolton not doing in the game when they needed a three like water in the desert? I mean, I was yelling at the Sacramento coach, "YOU JACKASS! Why isn't Ruthie in?" (and since I sit up in 210, this was not appreciated) *ponders* Oh yeah, there was also the DeMya Walker flop that wasn't bought, much to her disgust. Someone over on the Sacramento bench threw a temper tantrum at one of those calls.
We seemed to have an unexpected guest in the person of Anne Donovan. Either that, or we had an unexpected guest in the person of Anne Donovan's identical twin sister. Extremely tall, skinny as hell, and with that helmet of brown hair (and the same features, as far as I could tell)- scared the crap out of me. She must have been there to welcome Patty to the head coaching family- either that, or to take notes on her style and how best to knock her out of her rhythm. We were also privileged to have Sue in the house. It felt good to have her back again. As for other extracurriculars- Crystal kept it simple (white blouse, yellowish-creamish pants, and those damn slippers), though we discovered that she has a figure. (Stop tittering back there!) Tari, of course, was dressed to the nines: all in black, with at least two-inch heels. She didn't manage to find a designer wrist brace, though, more's the pity. She took her sweet time coming out, both before the game and at the half.
Okay, props to Kate and Alison for getting on GardenVision, boas and all. *waves at everyone*
Friday, January 4, 2008
June 17th, 2003: Sacramento at New York
New York Liberty 70, Sacramento Monarchs 61
The Game Notes are confused, Yolanda Griffith is unfrickinbelievable, and the end of the Spoon Era is foreshadowed.
Where the fuck was everyone tonight? We’re playing the mighty Monarchs and over half the Garden was empty. This was the kind of game that should be shown to anyone who wants to be a WNBA fan, and I’d say less than ten thousand people showed up. *sigh* One thing that did warm the cockles of my heart was the increasing number of guys I’ve seen in Liberty gear. And not just stuff with the team logo, actual jerseys and stuff. Women have been wearing NBA, NHL, and MLB jerseys for a long time. It’s nice to see guys returning the favor.
The halftime scrawl: this game is blah. There’s a lot of hustle, and there’ve been a couple of gorgeous plays, but overall it hasn’t been what I’d expect a matchup between the Eastern Conference champions and the team expected to challenge Los Angeles in the West. Thank God Tamika showed up at last! And VJ got assist #500! Yay! *long-distance huggle*
This was a wonderful game. There was no defining play that made me go “oooooh!” but there was good solid basketball. My halftime scrawl was very wrong. So sue me. The Liberty got a win, the Sporks lost, and the weather is nice and cool. I’m in heaven.
Notes- Spoon was out for the vast majority of the second half; Adubato alternated K.B. and Becky at the pg. Methinks Spoon’s in the doghouse. Elena still seems to be vaguely confused by this whole Liberty gig. VJ is back! Woo! Now, if we could only re-track Tari. Oh, and rebound. When Elena has six and leads the team, that is of the bad.
Apropos of very little, really, Ticha is really, really cool. I’m one of those people who comes early to games to score autographs. Ticha was signing for several of us and joshing us a little bit for being Liberty fans. One of my friends wished her a good game, and I reminded my friend that she was playing us. Ticha took offense, or perhaps only pretended to, and made like she was going to abscond with my card after she signed it. After returning it, she pretended to poke my white shirt with the purple Sharpie I had brought. I realize that I made an ass of myself, but she was a really good sport and she’s a natural entertainer. I gotta say, between her and Yo and Edna, the Monarchs are growing on me. I still refuse to commit to a Western team, though. Sorry, Kelli.
Kate- question. Looking down into the Promised Land, aka courtside seats, I saw a trio of ladies in Liberty jerseys dancin’ and feelin’ mighty good. Do you and the rest of the coterie sit behind the advertising right off the Liberty bench?
Unwanted midriff sightings included Crystal, VJ, Miko, Ticha, Elena, and Tangela Smith. There was much hustling, and therefore there was much lifting of jerseys.